Hydraulic brake system



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April 0, 1946 C; B. vscKaa 2,399,269

HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM' Filed June 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 {NVENTOR www Bvickas @@@WQMT (3m.

ATTO RNEYS April 30, 1945 4cz. B. VICKERS HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM Filed June 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS f t' Ramo BR SYSTEM Carroll- B. Vickers, Bualo, N.

Y., assigner, 'by

mesme assignments, to Timken-Detroit Axle Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation ofOhio Application June 3, 1941, serial No. 396,41'2' 9 Claims. (Cl. 60`54.6)

This invention relates to a hydraulic braking system for motor vehicles and has particular reference to a hydraulic booster for use in con- Junction with the master or foot controlled unit.

The primary object of the present invention is f to provide a booster unit of practical design and ,construction which will be durable and serviceable for a long period of time.

A further object oi the invention is to provide a construction in which the operating parts and elements are maintained submerged in the braking liquid and are therefore kept from unnecessary wear as well as from deterioration by the weather.

The invention further has for its object to provide a booster in which the boosting piston is maintained free of the system pressure until the brake slack has been absorbed, following which such piston is subjected directly to the foot pressure independently of the braking pressure which is amplied in a novel manner as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a diagrammatic lay-out oi the hydraulic `braking system as applied to the four wheel brakes of a motor vehicle;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the booster unit partly broken away to show the inner construction;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the booster unit; and

Fig. d is a fragmentary sectional view of the unit is a cylindricaliange is having radial openings i9 which provide constant communication' betweenvthe surrounding space lli'l and the cylinon an enlarged scale to more clearly illustratek the operation thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the

numeral i designates the conventional brake pedal which is xed on a rock shafts to 'which latter the piston rod 3 of a master cylinder t is connected by the'rocker arm d. The master cylinder may be of the usual construction having a reservoir d and also a discharge conduit i which in turn is connected to the brake cylinders d of the respective wheel brakes t, all as are shown diagrammatically in Fig. l.

Interposed in the uuid line l between the master cylinder e and the wheel brake cylinders is the booster unit which,'as herein depicted, comprises a body l i having a cylinder or chamber l 2, preferably round and opening at one end through a reduced bore It with its opposite end closed by a chambered head l@ which is removably secured in place as by the threaded engagement l5. The pressure distributing chamber i6 of the removable head ld has constant communication. with the master cylinder through the conduit l to which it is connected by the threaded fitting ll. Extending from the body il into the chamber it drical chamber l2. The cylindrical flange lb provides a support for a cap member 2li which is threaded thereinto and carries on its inner end a circular ilangeor lip 2i that cooperates with an internal' shoulder 22 on the body ll at the base of the ange s to form a. narrow slit-like oric 23. This oriiice is of a size determined.

by a shoulder 2li on the cap' 2@ engaging the outer end of the cylindrical ange ld'. The cap 2@ is provided with a cylindrical chamber whichis coarial with the cylinder l2 and of equal diameter therewith'so as to form an extension thereof. 'I'he full'le'ngth cylinder, therefut'e, is interrupted by the slit-like orice 23 which extends entirely about the pylinder l2 and has a capacity sumY cient to permit the passage of ample duid for taking up the slack of the brakes, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

Operating within the cylinder l2 is a movable wall or piston 2d which is normally held within the cap 2u by a spring 2l that surrounds the piston rod 2u within the cylinder l2. The piston is provided with iiange si and an outer flange suthe latter sliding on the cylinder wall while the former hugs the piston rod 2d between a conilning shoulder 32 and the adjacent face of the pistou on which latter the packing ring seats. A- sleeve 33 fits between the packing ilanges to support the adjacent end oi the spring 2l clear thereowhereby the pack-- ing may function properly. The opposite end of the spring nds support on a ring plate 3d seating on the shoulder 35 as formed by the reduced bore i3. Within the bore le extends the free end of the piston rod 28 which has with a peripheral groove in packing ring 3l. and outer anges which is engaged a This packing element has inner dening a space 38 into which the uid from cylinder l2 enters under pressure r through the oriices 39 so that the flanges eectively seal the braking liquid againstleakage.

The purpose of this construction is to provide a guiding support for the piston rod which is leakproof and therefore when the piston functions to apply the brakes the guiding support 35 will merely slide in the reduced bor'e piston movement.

Normally the piston is conned within the cap 2li with the ilange 30 of packing ring, 29 uncovering theslit-like orifice 23. Therefore, when the pedal l is depressed and the liquid in the master cylinder is subjected thereby to pressure,

la in accordance with a packing ring having an inner a guiding head 36- the pressure will be transmitted through the pipe 1, the chamber I3 and space l2'. the communicating ports I9 and 23 to the liquid within the cylinder I2 from whence it is distributed through the nipples 43 and the pipes 4l to the'brake cylinders 3.' This transmission of pressure by thei liquid ls designed primarily to take up slack in the brakes and thereafter a multiplication of the pressure is effected by causing movement of the pisto'n in a manner to entrap the liquid at the brake side thereof. A

For accelerating the braking action, a metering check valve 42 is slidably mounted in an aperture in the end of the cap 20. This valve is normally closed by a spring 4I but is adapted to be opened under a predetermined pressure to Iestablish communication between the chamber i8 and thechamber I2' which lies between the end wall ofthe cap and the piston 26. This end wall constitutes the back end wall of cylinder l2 and is provided with release ports 44 which are normally closed by a flap valve 45. The coil spring 43 may seat at one end on the central part of the ap valve, the opposite end of the spring being supported by a retaining plate 48 and a removable cross pin 4l; The valve 42 is shown as being tubular. its bore opening axially through f one end into the chamber I6 and radially through ports 43 adjacent the opposite end to provide a passage from .space I6 into chamber l2'. These radial ports' are normally closed to chamber I2' but are adapted to open therelnto as the valve 42 is pushed inwardly by the increasinghydraulic'v pressure. For this purpose theV adjacent face'of piston 22 is hollowed out as shown etnatoreceive the adjacent endof thevvalveivz42. A stop flange 6U cooperating withfashoulder Il on the cap prevents complete withdra'wa by the spring 43. The passage through valve'f.` concentric with passage Ilf'surr y l and these two, passages lead. fro i3. one to the space within cyllnderjl ahead. fthe small areafworking face of piston 2l and' the otherto the space within cylinder I2 at the rear of the large area working face of piston 26.

After the slack has been taken up by reason of the initial hydrostatic pressure whichgenters through the ports Is and 23, increased pressure will cause the valve 42 to depress to a position substantially as shown in Fig. 4 wherein a communication is established through the ports 48 of the valve into the chamber l2'. Consequently. the higher pressure will act on the larger area of the differential piston which is now exposed by normally spacing the back face of the piston from the closed end face of the cap, as by providing one or the other of the opposing faces with radial grooves. With the higher pressure thus acting on the piston 23 the latter will be moved to the left as shownin Figs. 3 and i and during the initial piston movement the packing flange will pass across the slit-like port 23 to entrap the liquid ahead of the piston for high pressure duty. The port 23 being in the form of 'a narrow slit will give -suillcient fluid capacity for the initial setting of the brakes and at the same time will avoid injury to the packing flange as it passes the piston 2G is thereover.

The extent of movement of sufficiently great so that the piston will move bstantially aan un( the narrow port 23 to continue its motivating force on the back face of the` piston 23. This back surface area of the piston is shown as being lapproximately twice as great as the front face y area minus the cross sectional area of the piston rod 28. The depth or width of the piston body 28 is sufliciently extensive to practically resist the slippage of any fluid across the peripheral surface after the yieldable packing flange In'has advanced beyond the narrow port 23. The piston is preferably given a very close fit within its cylinder so als to avoidthe necessity of providing a packing on the back face of the piston, which packing may be provided if desired without invice.

terfering with the practical working of the de- Obviously the valve 42 will tend to .close under the urge of its spring as the pressure is equalized between chambers I2 and I8 but further depression of the brake pedal I will, of course, continue to hold vthe valve depressed. for the transmission of the pressure on the liquid in chamber Il to the back face of the piston. This will occur until the piston moves forwardly suiclently far to uncover the narrow side port 23 following which the valve 42 may close since the pressure in the chamber l2' will then be equalized with that in chamber i8 by reason of the communication through the narrow side port. Obviously the lpressure chamber i6 may be a part of the master cylinder if desired and this of course will eliminate the fluid line 1. Therefore, the term prea- 'ports 44 v ternal pressure. Consequently the piston 2| will sure chamber has been used in the appended claims in such broad sense. l

Upon the release of the foot pressure the spring 21 will move the piston to the right, and during thismovement the valve 42 will close, but escape vofthe liquid from the. chamber l2' will be by the as the flap valve 45 respondsto the .in-

recede within the cap until the brakes have been released, at whichtime the position of the piston will have uncovered the vport 23.

It will be Inoted that as the brakes are being applied and after slack has been taken up, the motivating pressure is then transmitted to the back of th'e piston at a pressure which is equal to the hydrostatic pressure at the Vfront of the piston by reason of the port communications 23 and 4B with the common pressure distributing i chamber It. Therefore. because of this fact the change-over from the direct transmission of pressure through port 23 to the multiplying action of the booster will be smooth' and regular and'devoid of sudden jerks or actions which might otherwise defeat a well controlled braking application. Immediately upon making this change-over the piston will of course begin its forward travel by reason of its differential surface area and continue the braking action but .under an increased pressure.

The spring 21 as well as the other parts of the of creeping tendency during between the sure. J The booster may be permanently mounted by means of the ears 52. For repair, access to the piston may readily be obtained by irst removing foot pressure and the; braking pres the head I4 and then the cap 2li` without disturby 1. A booster for hydraulic brake systems, co

prising a cylinder and a diierential piston therein held in one position by a spring, a chamber normally communicating with th'e cylinder through a port positioned ahead of the piston but adapted to be closed thereby to entrap .a portion of the liquid, said cylinder having means for communieating the entrapped liquid with a brake applyingv open the-port means in the presence of a predetermined pressure in the pressure distributi chamber, a flap valve on the cap'member' openingthe port means when the pressure at the back ofv the piston is relatively higher, and spring means normally holding the two valves closed.

'4. A booster comprising a body having a cylinder adapted for communicating with abrake applyingv device,l a diiierential piston slidable in the cylinder, a cap removably engaged with the body to confine the piston, a hollow head also removably engaged with the body and enclosing the cap, aport normally establishing communication between the cylinder at the front side of the piston and the interior of the head and adapted to be closed by and during braking movement of the piston, and Avalve means normally closing communication between the interior of the head and means, said piston havinga rod extending from i its front face and guided in a reduced axial bore of the cylinder, means for packing the rod Within the bore against iiuid leakage, means for subjecting the liquid in the chamber to a pressure above a predetermined degree, and means responsive to a pressure of such predetermined degree for establishing communication between the chamber and the back face of the piston to actuate the latter.

2. A hydraulic brake booster comprising a body having a cylindrical chamber and a relatively larger cylindrical flangeprojecting from an internal shoulder on the body, a hollow cap member fitting within the flange and forming a continuation of the cylindrical chamber, said cap member having a.' wall portion cooperatingwith the internal shoulder to define a narrowv slit-like port in the side of the cylindrical chamber,` a pistonl slidable in the chamber and normally disposed in the cap end thereof in a position uncovering the port to the chamber portion of the body, said piston having a portion movable across the port to entrap fluid in advance of the piston for braking purposes, the front end portion of'the chamber being adapted for communication with a hythe cylinder at the back side of the piston, said valve means being responsive to a predetermined pressure on the iluid in the interior of the head to establish such communication whereby to eiect movement of the piston to initially close the port for entrapping a portion of the uid in advance of the piston and then exerting a braking pressure thereon for transmission to a connected brake applying device.

5. A hydraulic brake system unit comprising a cylinder having .two 'ports in longitudinally spaced relation, a differential piston slidable in the cylinder and normally disposed to have one port in advance of the piston and the other port to the rear thereof, a pressure distributing chamdraulic brake applying device, the piston having an enective back face area greater than its eifective front face area, and means for subjecting the chamber fluid to a brake setting pressure through the port and thereafter to subject the back of the piston to a motivating pressure.

3. A hydraulic brake booster having a cylindrical chamber and an internal shoulder, a hollow cap member forming a continuationof the cylindrical chamber, said cap member having awall portion cooperating with the internal shoulder to define a, narrow slit-like i port in the side of the'cylindrical chamber, a

piston slidable in the chamber and normally dis- -posed in the cap end thereof in a position uncovering the port to the chamber portion of the body, said piston having a portion movable across th'e port to entrap fluid in advance of the piston for braking purposes, the front end portion of the chamber being adapted for communication with a hydraulic brake applying device, the piston having an eiiective area at its back greater than that at its front, a pressure distributing chamber enclosing the cap member and' communicating with the port, the cap member having port means opening between the back end of the cylindrical chamber and the pressure distributing chamber, a valve slidable axially in the cap member to comprising a body ber communicating with the cylinder through both ports, valve means normally closing the port to the rear and responsive to a predetermined chamber pressure to open the same after an initial brake setting pressure has been transmitted through the forward port, and means for subjecting the chamber fluid to pressure, the piston being subsequently. movable by a pressure above such predetermined degree as applied to the back face area ofthe piston upon the opening of said valve mean`sthe forward movement of the piston being suiiiciently great `to uncover the advance port whereby the latter will serve as a communication With the chamber for transmitting the piston moving force to the back face area of the piston.

6. A hydraulic brake system unit comprising a cylinder, a piston slidable therein, a pressure distributing chamber communicating with the cylinder in advance of the piston when in normal position, the piston having a back face area larger than its front face area. the cylinder being provided with a port to the rear of the piston through which the pressure from the chamber is transmitted to such back face area, valve means normally closing the port and responsive to the chamber pressure to open the same for such pressure transmission, and means for subjecting the chamber fluid to pressure, the forward movement of the piston uncovering such first chamber communication whereby the piston moving pressure from the chamber is transmitted therethrough in by-pass relation to the port.

'7. A booster for hydraulic brake systems, comprising a cylinder having a reduced axial bore at .compared to the back area and thereby providing a diierential piston formation operating within the cylinder, achamber normally communicating with the cylinder through a port positioned ahead of the piston but adapted to be closed thereby to entrap a portion of the liquid. said cylinder having means for communicating the trapped liquid with a `brake applying means.

means for subjecting the liquid in the cham' ber to a pressure above a predetermined degree,

` and means responsive to a pressure ci suchpredetermined degree for establishing communication between the chamber and the back face of the piston to actuate the latter for so entrapping the liquid in advance of the piston. l

8. In a hydraulic brake boosteradapted to be installed between the master and .wheel brake cylinders of a vehicle, a bodyV assembly having aligned large and small diameter cylinders, the small diameter cylinder being open to the atmosphere at one end and opening into the large diameter cylinder at the other; `an. outlet port in said large diameter cylinder adjacent its juncture with said other cylinder adapted to be connected to the wheel brake cylinders; a guide member slidable in said small diameter cylinder and sealed against fluidtleakage toward the open end of the latter; a piston slidable in said to, for unitary sliding movement therewith. by means rendering the front face of said piston o! smaller effective area than the rear face thereof large diameter cylinder and rigidly connected to l said guide member in spaced'relationship there.- 80

between said 4 tace ot said piston when the pressure has built up to a predetermined value and advance said piston and cut oir said inlet port to trap a body of uid guide member and the iront face of said piston and displace it endwise for delivery of a portion thereof to said outlet port under a pressure greater than said predetermined value, said nrst inlet port being so located as to be uncovered after predetermined advance of said piston to expose the rear face thereof to said uid I supply independently of said second port.

9. The brake booster defined in claim 8. wherein said inlet ports, and a third port communicating with the rear face of said piston are disposed in direct fluid communication with the master cylinder, and said third port' embodies a check valve for automatically exhausting iluld from said cylinder upon retraction of said piston.

CARROLL B. `VICKERS. 

